Socrates Case

2. How does Socrates explain how he got the reputation of being a wise man? (#5)

* And there is a riddle here--

 I know I'm not wise.

 But the oracle says I'm wise.

 And the oracle cannot be lying because he is a god and the god's cannot lie.

3. So what does Socrates do to try to understand what the god or oracle meant and what does he learn? (#6, #7 and #8)

4. Why does Socrates say he is the wisest? (#7)

5. After going to the statesman/politician, the poets, and the skilled artisans, what did Socrates ask himself? (#8)

6. What did this questioning of everyone lead Socrates to/What did this inquiry give rise to? What does this make Socrates realize about human wisdom? (#9)

7. After Socrates defends himself against his first accusers he turns to defend himself against Meletus. What does Meletus accuse Socrates of? ( #11)

8. How does Socrates prove he is not corrupting the youth? (#12)

* There is a play on the etymology of the name Meletus--it means the one who cares.

9. How does Socrates prove that he doesn't corrupt the youth? (#12 & 13)

* Two points to realize: Athenian law does not allow one to prosecute for unintentional acts.

* Socrates says that instead of accusing him, Meletus should have taken him aside and taught him the errors of his way. This is an idea we see repeated with Gandhi and Martin Luther King. We should not attack people; we should show them the errors of their way. It will become the philosophical grounding for the idea of civil disobedience.

10. Next Socrates catches Meletus in a riddle? First you say I believe in gods and then you say I do not believe in them. How does Socrates prove that he does believe in the gods? (#15)

* In Athens, at the time, religion and patriotism were the same thing. They didn't have churches or places of worship. Gods were worshipped at festivals that were state functions and participation was assumed.